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Beauty

I hate. Ombre. Ok, more like ombre hates me. Two years ago before I left for Australia to study, I decided, the trend whore that I was (fine, still am.) that I was going to have deliciously sweet pink ombre hair. Because back then, the ombre that came up were the baby pink blondes. Much like this.

“Pssh. So what if I’m not white, or have icy blonde hair? Gurrrlll you better believe that I can so totes pull this off,” I thought.

My stylist got down to stripping all the dark pigment off the bottom half of my black (heavily dyed brunette) Asian hair. Two bleach treatments later, she declared my hair untreatable. If I were to put anything else on top of it, my hair would get fried, and shrivel, and look like fluffy wire. Hence. I left with ombre blonde hair. It was an atrocious mess.

Anyway. Looks like ombre’s not going away anytime soon. If you’ve dark hair and you want inspiration, like I was so looking for back then, here you go.

But you know who rocked ombre before anyone else did?

That’s right, one and only Justin Hawkins from The Darkness. Damn I miss them in all their tacky glory. I believe in a thing called love, just listen to the rhythm of my heart!

Super interesting. When I line my eyes I naturally flick the ends for a cat eye, but on certain days that I want a more natural-ish rounder eye, I would just omit eyeliner altogether. And then I’d have naked eyes and it’s just not fabulous sometimes. Definitely going to give the top right eye a go.

While we’re doing interesting eye diagrams, this would also help:

Although to be perfectly honest, I always use just one neutral shimmery champagne colour splashed all over my lids up to my brow bone everyday, no matter the occasion. Eyeshadow blending is like the hip best friend I’d love to have, but we fight like catty schoolgirls every time we meet.

I HAVE ARTICLES TO FINISH BUT I’VE NARY A START!!! It’s strange the things you can get up to when you’re procrastinating. Ok fine, tomorrow I shall start. Fo sho. Yeah.

If there’s anything I can rock, that would be the cat eye. I draw that shit on with intense precision. It’s the one makeup look I am so proud of. Because I fail at everything else, don’t even get me started on the smokey eye, just… no.

Anyway, one morning I wanted to pull out my MAC Blacktrack gel liner… Only to have it looking like your great-great-great-grandfather’s face. Stuff was so dried up I could literally pick the whole thing off the pot! Sad.

But hey, it meant I have legit reason to go shop for a new gel liner yaaaaay……….

And I’ve long wanted to try this baby:

The Clio Gel Liner and Cake Eyebrow Pot, $27.90 at Watsons.

I. LOVES. IT. LOVES IT.

I’ve been using their Liquid Brush Eyeliner, which is hands down the best liquid liner I’ve ever picked up ever, so this was a no-brainer.

Quick facts on the Clio brand:

1. Created by a bunch of South Korean makeup artists, and you can trust the Koreans to come up with the best stuff to make you look pimping.

2. Clio eyeliners are extra black, because they’re packed with more carbon black. So the black that comes out is more intense than your usual variety. Which means you don’t have to go over your eyeliner to get maximum drama.

3. They’re also smudge-, budge- and water-proof. I’m your typical cold-hearted biatch so I can’t vouch for tear-resistant capabilities, but the stuff has lasted me from 8am to bloody 5am the next morning, with the slightest smudging. Awesome for someone who can’t give two shits about touching up her makeup aka me.

4. It’s smudge-etc-etc-proof, but it’s incredibly easy to remove. 5am in the morning, two squirts of makeup oil remover all over my face, rinse off and BAM unpretty but clean face.

Eyebrow powder is good I guess, I don’t really have much to say about eyebrow powders in general *shrugs* But this is convenient. I guess. I wouldn’t bring gel liner on travels anyway.

I’m most interested in the lip colors though. No one does a red lip better than Marilyn right? The lipsticks are limited edition too, so if there’s anything from the collection worth having, that’ll be it. I’m eyeing Deeply Adored. Don’t think I have a burgundy red just as yet.

“Why yes, I was born with it. Here, have a blemish-free charity smirk.”

EVERYONE is in pursuit of clear skin. EVERYONE. If you’re not, you are blessed with fantastic genes and people hate you, sorry gurl. Girls like me make voodoo dolls out of you and we do nothing but touch your voodoo faces hoping that our germy hands will give you zits.

4. STICK WITH THE BASICS

There are certain ingredients that have proven themselves in clinical trials (benzoyl peroxide or glycolic or salicylic acid for acne)—use them. And give them a chance: They need at least six weeks to work. “If nothing has changed by week six, the product will never work for you,” says David Bank, a professor of dermatology at Columbia University/New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Then, it’s time to see a dermatologist—prescription products or in-office treatments may offer some relief.

When it comes to acne, stick with things proven in clinical trials. DUH.

After like, I don’t know, 4? 5? years of experimenting, I’ve always gone back to benzoyl peroxide to kill zits. In between, whatever else new ‘fantastic’ product I’ve used has never worked quite as well, or worse, made my skin look even more like shit. I’m talking to you, products with green tea, pearl, lemon, honey, whathaveyous; you all suck ass.

So yes, I am sticking to my trusty benzoyl peroxide that has saved my skin one too many times. It dries the hell out of my skin and makes it flaky, but it’s not something I can’t bear.

I’ve also found that if salicylic works on you benzoyl won’t, and vice versa. Tested this theory with a couple of my girlfriends. I’m a benzoyl girl, salicylic does nothing for me.

Glycolic acid is alright, but very slow. It’s also not… potent enough for me, so I don’t bother. If you have mild congestion, then go for glycolic. I think products with glycolic tend to be a little bit more expensive too? I think.

SO. If you have zits to get rid off, look for stuff with benzoyl peroxide.

If it doesn’t work on you, hunt for products with salicylic acid. Don’t waste time.

If neither works for you, do as the article suggests, and see a dermatologist.

I use Benzac by Galderma, which I discovered when I was studying in Australia. Hada Labo Arbutin really broke me out bad and gave me craptastic skin for the better part of my stint there :( Don’t ask me why in the world I would even think of experimenting with a new product right before I flew over because… my mind was clouded by, uhhh, koalas and wallabies.

They have 10% and 5% concentrations, but I’m content with 2.5%. I started off with 10% though, because guuurrlll, this face used to need a whole lot of work.

Before I discovered Benzac I was using the Neutrogena On-the-spot treatment, which has 2.5% concentration. It works awesomely too, but once I discovered Benzac I never went back to it because compared to Benzac, Neutrogena is expensive for very little product. I love you Benzac. Benzac 2.5% is SGD$15, I think.

Another tip they extolled was to use retinoids, which I recently got really into but I’ll leave that for the next couple of posts.

A lot of people gripe on Sundays because it’s Monday tomorrow, but I never waste time on griping.

I seize the day, live in the moment, carpe diem, etc etc. Worry about tomorrow and you’ll miss out on today, I say.

So I have a routine on Sundays that always gets me geared up and ready to face Monday in the eyes and go “Imma kick your butt, Monday, just you wait.”

1. Have a Solo Spa Party

Sundays are ‘Me’ time and I pamper myself to no end. In the showers, I use my nicest-smelling shower gels, bother with body scrubs, and I’d even pop a hair mask in my tresses.

Best hair mask by the way? The Dove Nourishing Oil Hair Mask. The Dove Nourishing Oil range by the way is my absolute fave. Best body scrub I have? The Body Shop Spa Wisdom range. Ah-may-zing.

I’d then do a mud mask on my face/a peel-off egg mask to clear my congested pores. DIY peel-off egg mask is the best discovery EVER.

If I want something hydrating I grab my Laneige Water Sleeping Pack, which I LOVE. Yes, if I need a hydration boost in the day I’d use this as well. It hydrates so well, but it isn’t oily. To remove, I’d just grab a cottan pad, soak it with water and clean my face with it.

But this is rare, because my face is a perpetual oil slick. Yeah, flash photography and me, best friends for life.

I go out every day of the rest of the week, I like having one day of being indoors. Plus it’s an awesome feeling to just have a whole full day of doing NOTHING at home.

I could paint, read a book, lounge on the couch, watch back-to-back episodes of an awesome TV show, eat whatever I want, however I want, heck I don’t even have to shower if I don’t want to. And underwear is optional! Shoot was that TMI? Sorry.

Second reason, so I don’t put makeup and let my skin freaking breathe. I’m a makeup whore and as long as I’m stepping beyond my neighbourhood, I will cake my face.

If I do have to go out, I make sure it’s in the earlier part of the day. I usually go out only for the inexcusable family functions (though I’m guilty of not turning up one too many times.), or for brunch.

I love Brunch. Eggs in the morning, good artisan coffee, catch-up with the girlfriends, and wearing my favourite combo of shorts-tshirt-slippers.

3. Sleep as much as possible

I am in the bed by 9pm, 10pm max.

In bed, but not sleeping though. Instead I’ll be watching shows on my computer to sleep. It’s a terrible habit, I know, but it’s the only way I know for now to get my brain to calm down. I’m the typical insomniac with an over-imaginative and hyper headspace. I’m always envious of those who can doze off to dreamland the moment their heads hit the pillow.

FYI, at the moment I’m on Breaking Bad, which is so intensely fantastic, and hilarious Parks and Recreations. I want a relationship like Leslie Knope has with Ben Wyatt.

Also, Fridays and Saturdays are usually late-nighters, because, haaayyyy par-taaaayyy am I right. Right. Being in bed earlier on Sundays helps my body clock to revert back to office-lady-hours. There is NOTHING worse than not having enough sleep on a Monday. So yes, in bed by 10pm max, asleep around 11 to 12pm.

7 hours is optimal for me, though I could always use with 8. Any more hours than that? I would feel lethargic and like death. Yep, human body you are one fucked-up machine an enigma.